Chapter 118: New Year (2)

Translator: Dreamscribe

In his studio, Oh Jong-man was staring at his laptop.

"......"

A rather grim face. Not from anger, of course. His heart was simply pounding with tension.

"...So it's begun."

What he was looking at was an article with his name stamped on it.

《[Exclusive] Actor Oh Jong-man, Off the Grid for Years, Returns Through the 'One-Act Drama Project'!》

Naturally, Oh Jong-man had known in advance that an article like this would go out. It had been agreed upon with Netflix Korea long ago, and it was also part of the design laid out by 'MEG', or rather, General Manager Kim Ha-jae.

'He said they'd build up my return as an actor before revealing I'm the writer, right?'

On top of that, Oh Jong-man had heard from Lee Chan-hoo at his agency, 'MEG', that the article would be going out soon. So he had prepared himself. Braced himself, even.

'The core of the 'One-Act Drama Project'... no, of 'Murder Is a Qualification Too', is me.'

He knew full well that he was carrying a major pillar of the 'One-Act Drama Project'. But now, actually seeing an article with his name in it, his PTSD from the incident back then came flaring up.

"Whew... calm down."

The countless accusations and insults hurled at him. It was something he had to go through anyway if he was ever going to stand before the public again, but it seemed his wounds still hadn't healed.

Just then.

-Bzzz, bzzzzz.

Oh Jong-man's phone let out a long vibration. The moment he saw the caller, his eyes widened slightly.

"Manager Kang-nim?"

The caller was Kang Jae-ha. Oh Jong-man soon had the phone pressed to his ear, and Jae-ha's calm voice came through.

"Writer-nim, I saw the article."

"...Yes, it seems it's begun."

"Are you scared?"

"A little. No... I'm pretty shaken, actually."

"There will be plenty of people cursing you out without knowing the situation. The press, too."

"I suppose so."

"Whenever that happens, remember, the train keeps moving no matter how the dogs bark."

"......"

He was right. In the end, the things weighing on Oh Jong-man were nothing but noise. Somehow, Oh Jong-man found light in Kang Jae-ha's dry advice. A faint smile crossed his once-grim face.

"Thank... you."

Then, from the other end of the line, Kang Jae-ha spoke again.

"Your acting comeback is just a smokescreen anyway. The real reveal is you as the writer, so don't get cold feet before we've even started."

Meanwhile.

After 'News M' dropped its first exclusive on Oh Jong-man, media outlets across the country took the bait.

"Huh? Oh Jong-man's coming back? And through the 'One-Act Drama Project' of all things??"

"Ha... now that's a fresh one. You hear anything from Netflix's side?"

"Nothing. Looks like those Netflix guys didn't drop a single crumb before unveiling the project, scared of stirring up controversy."

"Oh Jong-man... not bad, huh? That'll rake in some clicks."

This was the return of Oh Jong-man, a man buried by past assault, sexual harassment, and molestation controversies. And the platform for his comeback was none other than Netflix Korea.

Naturally, to reporters, he looked like a tasty piece of prey.

Thanks to that, the exclusive Ha Yeon-ji had thrown out was quickly copied and began pouring out in countless variations.

《[StarTalk] 'Assault, Sexual Harassment' Oh Jong-man Returns Through Netflix/ Photos》

《Long-Vanished Oh Jong-man Was Among the Cast of Netflix's Buzzworthy 'One-Act Drama Project'》

《Oh Jong-man, Who Once Caused a Stir, Returns Through the 'One-Act Drama Project'!》

Oh Jong-man's return would have been an issue all on its own, but mixed with Netflix Korea's already-hot 'One-Act Drama Project', the whole thing blew up even bigger.

《The Public's Divided Views on 'Sexual Harassment' Oh Jong-man's Return》

《Oh Jong-man's Comeback? A Look Back at His Past Incidents》

Within hours, the entertainment press was consumed with reporting on Oh Jong-man, and once things reached that point, Netflix Korea released an official statement.

《Netflix Korea's Side "Oh Jong-man's Casting Is Confirmed, Filming Is Already Complete. Please Stay Tuned"》

By then, Oh Jong-man's comeback was burning hot across online communities.

-Gross, look at him slinking back in again ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-True, but compared to the ones who yap about their one year of Self-Imposed Hiatus and then come back, Oh Jong-man's one of the decent ones ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Gross my ass, you moron, Oh Jong-man was Cleared of Charges

-I want every single person trashing Oh Jong-man here to get slapped with a Lawsuit

-Wait, Oh Jong-man was cleared?

-Yeah, it was total chaos when his scandal broke ㅋㅋㅋㅋ but when the charges got dropped everyone went quiet, poor bastard

-Wasn't he only cleared for the assault?? Pretty sure not the harassment or molestation

-He was cleared of all of it

-Cleared or not, he's been MIA for years, his acting's probably gone to shit ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Public reaction ran to complete extremes. Either cursing Oh Jong-man or defending him. Whichever side it was, the momentum of Oh Jong-man, and of the 'One-Act Drama Project', was skyrocketing at a frightening pace.

《'Oh Jong-man's Return', A Look at the One-Act Drama Project Cast... An Ji-hee, Yoon Da-yeon, and Other Hot Names》

This timing, of course, had been discussed among Kang Jae-ha, Oh Jong-man, Director Baek Jeong-ha, and Executive Director Heo Seong-jin. Meanwhile, watching the way things were rolling, Netflix Korea's Executive Director Heo Seong-jin.

"The lid's off."

He recalled the meeting he'd had with Kang Jae-ha. No, with General Manager Kim Ha-jae.

'We reveal Oh Jong-man as an actor first and hide that he's the writer.'

Then the press and public opinion would pounce, positively or negatively. Just like now.

'The 'One-Act Drama Project' will get even hotter, and when interest hits its absolute peak, the 'One-Act Drama Project' launches.'

That would be around when Oh Jong-man the writer revealed himself. Having retraced General Manager Kim Ha-jae's design, Executive Director Heo Seong-jin issued additional orders to his staff.

"Keep running our own Media Play too. Don't stop."

Then Executive Director Heo Seong-jin moved to the editing room where Director Baek Jeong-ha was holed up. Editing Season 1 of the 'One-Act Drama Project' day and night, Director Baek Jeong-ha looked like half the person she used to be. The bald Executive Director Heo Seong-jin asked her worriedly.

"Are... you all right, Director-nim?"

Director Baek Jeong-ha shrugged and answered like it was nothing.

"I'm alive, that's what counts. My fingers still move. More importantly, Season 1 editing is in its final stretch. Once the sound is cleaned up, it's done. Has the official release date for the 'One-Act Drama Project' been confirmed?"

Executive Director Heo Seong-jin nodded and answered.

"Yes, the 'One-Act Drama Project' launch date. It's Monday, February 1st."

Less than a month remained until the official release.

Monday night, January 11th.

The location was the 'MEG' conference room. Kang Jae-ha sat at the head of the table, and beside him was Choi Ri-na, her long, purple-tinted hair tied back. Choi Ri-na had been busy lately. The 'One-Act Drama Project' work was more or less wrapped up, but 'Condensation: Euphoria' and 'Moonless Village' were still in progress.

On top of that, she had to keep working on her own material as well.

Perhaps that was why Choi Ri-na looked like she'd lost some weight, and Kang Jae-ha asked her.

"You taking care of your health?"

She may have lost weight, but Choi Ri-na's energy was as high as ever.

"Obviously! I'm even taking, what's it called? Herbal medicine? Stuff like that!"

"Good."

"Yep! Totally on top of it! These days I don't even notice time passing, it's so much fun. And the songs are coming out awesome! Gotta grind hard while it's good!"

For the record, the two 'Seriel' songs she had composed were still ranked high on the various Music Charts. These days 'Seriel' was gearing up for a nationwide concert tour. Once Korea was done, Japan was next.

In short, Composer 'Rina' was making money, sure, but her name recognition was already through the roof.

On top of that, among the projects Choi Ri-na had joined as Music Director, the 'One-Act Drama Project' was about to be released. The rest would open one after another.

Watching Choi Ri-na, Kang Jae-ha figured it was about time.

'Around now, she stops the Music Director work and pivots hard to Singer-Songwriter.'

In his design, Choi Ri-na's final destination was Singer-Songwriter. Jae-ha then said to her.

"Once your current Music Director jobs are more or less wrapped up, let's start. Singer-Songwriter."

Choi Ri-na's eyes went wide instantly.

"Ah!"

She had already known, but with it suddenly right in front of her, she was a little nervous. Kang Jae-ha murmured to her in a low voice.

"The songs you'll use?"

"The composing's all done! I've been working on more just in case, though..."

"How many have you got?"

"More than five."

"Five songs. You should get those recorded ahead of time."

"I've actually been doing that whenever I get the chance!"

She was a singer, a Composer, and a producer all in one.

"Once the recordings are done and everything's ready, I'll play them for you right away."

"Sure."

"Actually, no! Want me to give you a quick taste of my favorites right now??"

"Go ahead, then."

Her eyes crinkling into a deeper smile, Choi Ri-na picked up the acoustic guitar she'd brought along. She started playing right away, showing off vocals that now flowed without a hint of hesitation.

-♬♪

Chin propped on his hand, Kang Jae-ha listened to Choi Ri-na's song and let a faint smile show.

'Killer. That'll melt the public's ears and then some.'

Afterward.

Choi Ri-na left, and Kang Jae-ha remained alone in the 'MEG' conference room. Eyes closed, he sorted through the countless designs churning in his head.

His Subordinates, 'MEG' and its subsidiaries, the projects and people he'd touched, and so on.

Then Kang Jae-ha opened his eyes and murmured quietly.

"It's been what, a little over two months? Since a new Subordinate popped up."

There had been no sign of a new Subordinate since Sato Shota. No chance encounters, and no 'Deja Vu' either.

"No rush, but I wouldn't mind seeing one soon."

In any case, wherever he went these days, Kang Jae-ha frequently used his newly gained 'Ability', Sensing. That 30-meter radar. He wanted to know whether a Subordinate might exist within 30 meters, beyond his line of sight.

If a Subordinate was within 30 meters of wherever Kang Jae-ha stood, they would show up marked in red.

But so far, not a single Subordinate had been found through his 'Ability', Sensing.

'It's already been a year since I came back to this world, huh.'

Come February next month, it would be exactly one year since Kang Jae-ha's Return. Maybe because of everything he'd been running, time had flown by like a bullet.

"Whew... enough. Let's head out."

He headed home.

The next morning, after Kang Jae-ha arrived at Leon Entertainment and ran into An Ji-hee.

"Good morning, Manager-nim!"

"Right, let's head straight out."

They got in a car together and set off. The place Kang Jae-ha and An Ji-hee arrived at was a hotel. In about two hours, in this hotel's hall, Netflix Korea would be holding the Production Press Conference for the 'One-Act Drama Project'.

So plenty of people were due to arrive.

An Ji-hee, of course, plus Oh Jong-man, Yoon Da-yeon, Director Baek Jeong-ha, Executive Director Heo Seong-jin, and on and on. And dozens of reporters were already crowding the hall. Naturally. The 'One-Act Drama Project' was still buzzing over the Oh Jong-man affair.

The hall's entrance and corridors were also overflowing with industry personnel and Netflix employees.

Kang Jae-ha sent An Ji-hee, who was stepping out of the van, ahead to the waiting room.

"Go on ahead to the waiting room."

"What about you, Manager-nim??"

"I'll stop by the restroom first."

"Ah! Okay!!"

An Ji-hee answered briskly and hurried off, her much-longer bob bouncing. Watching her go, Jae-ha raised his phone and called Lee Chan-hoo.

"Where are you?"

"Just came down to the hotel parking lot. Where are you, Commander?"

A few minutes later, Lee Chan-hoo approached Kang Jae-ha at a brisk pace.

"Commander."

"Hey. Where's Oh Jong-man?"

"Psyching himself up in the waiting room. It's his first time facing reporters since the comeback news broke, so of course he's nervous."

"Everyone here?"

"Yes. Director Baek Jeong-ha, Executive Director Heo Seong-jin, Yoon Da-yeon, pretty much everyone. Yoon Da-yeon seemed like she's been waiting around for you, Commander."

"How's the mood with the reporters?"

"Ready for war. Nobody's saying it, but you can tell they're all gunning for Oh Jong-man."

Kang Jae-ha nodded and murmured.

"Let's go."

Even as he started walking, Jae-ha ran through the routine that had lately become a habit. He activated his 'Ability', Sensing. What he was looking for was a new Subordinate.

Not that he expected much.

He had activated Sensing dozens of times by now, and not once had a new Subordinate turned up. So Kang Jae-ha thought nothing of it.

But then.

'Hm?'

Kang Jae-ha suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Lee Chan-hoo turned back, tilting his head.

"Huh? Something wrong, sir?"

But no answer came from Kang Jae-ha.

Because at that moment, he was staring at a spot in his field of vision stained red, in the shape of a person.

"......"

For the first time, Sensing had caught a new Subordinate.

*****

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